Property Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Advise On The Sale

Landowner Excel has sold an option on an 80,000 sq. ft site in Darlington, County Durham to McLaren Property, which McLaren has subsequently sold on to the Government Property Agency - to create what will be the Treasury’s second headquarters.

The site at St Cuthbert’s Way, Brunswick Street, currently a car park, will be redeveloped to become a permanent base for the Darlington Economic Campus, accommodating up to 1,400 civil servants.

Construction of the new government hub will begin in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026.

The Darlington Economic Campus is part of the government’s Places for Growth programme, which is moving roles out of London to areas across the UK and aims to move 22,000 roles from London by 2030.

In addition to the Treasury, the campus will house teams from the Department for Business and Trade; Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Office for National Statistics; and the Competition and Markets Authority. The Department for Education already has a base in Darlington.

Excel was advised by property lawyers at national law firm Irwin Mitchell. The team was led by property partners James Knowles and Michelle Beaumont and assisted by associate solicitor Laura Jones.

Alun Cockcroft of Excel said: “We are extremely pleased to have completed our negotiations and sale of the property for the new Treasury Headquarters and look forward to seeing the completed development in due course.”

Expert Opinion

"Irwin Mitchell is pleased to have advised Excel Parking Services Limited on the sale of their property, paving the way for the establishment of the Treasury's Northern HQ. Our team, worked closely with Excel to ensure a successful transaction and we are proud to have contributed to this exciting development and look forward to witnessing the transformation of the site into a government hub.” Laura Jones, Associate Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell